Guest Post

A creative young lady at my church named Amy (also a member of this site) writes occasional devotionals. I asked if I could post this one and she said OK. So here it is -

Maintenance

It’s spring… the trees are budding, the annuals are blooming, the weeds are about to swallow my children. And that familiar knot is back in my stomach.  I dread of pulling the mower and weed-eater out of the shed and getting to work on the yard.  I detest my yard.  There is virtually no landscaping. There are a lot of weeds.  There is a fence. Ugh.

Now I have many friends who love to work in the yard. They have beautiful curb appeal.  Their gardens flourish. Their yards are lush and great for outdoor living. They do not live at my house.

Now, if by some miracle someone came and fixed my yard up and turned it into something lush and beautiful, I wonder… could I maintain it?  And even if I could, would I?

I’m not maintenance-oriented.  I know that changing the oil and rotating the tires regularly extends the life of my car.  I know that wearing gloves protects my manicure.  I know that putting on sunscreen keeps my skin healthier, and maybe even retains my youth a little longer.  I know those things. But do I do them? Ha.

From the first chapter of James:²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

I can look in the mirror and see the “dirt” of slothfulness, but if I walk away from the mirror without removing the dirt, I am still dirty. Knowing something and doing something with or about what you know are two completely different things.  Most of the time I know what I ought to do, but I either do something else anyway or I do nothing.  I KNOW that I need to exercise 30 minutes a day, but I watch TV. I KNOW that I need to get more sleep, but that book is just too good to put down.  I KNOW that I need to get busy writing, but the internet calls to me.

I KNOW that I should read my Bible, but…
I KNOW that I should pray, but…
I KNOW that I should be in church, but…
I KNOW that I should help my neighbor in need, but…
I KNOW that I should tell someone about Jesus, but…

I see the emaciated state of my grass and the overgrown weeds when I neglect yardwork.
I see the emaciated state of my muscles and the overgrown fat cells when I neglect exercise.
I see the emaciated state of my soul and the overgrown sin when I neglect spiritual disciplines.

2 Peter 1:3 says: His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
Verse 5 goes on: But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, ⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I cannot handle the yard alone. For one, I do not have the proper equipment. I also do not have the know-how to accomplish anything of value.  And I most certainly lack the stamina necessary to get it into shape and maintain it. Praise God that He has sent me a friend who is willing to give up her time and sweat to help me learn to take care of the yard I have. I know most days I frustrate her with my ineptitude and my lackluster attitude, but she sticks by me and truly the extra set of hands makes the work lighter.  I watch her slaving in my yard… MY yard, mind you… and it motivates me. I push past whatever was holding me back, and just do it.

I cannot handle the exercise by myself, either. For one, I like to tell myself falsehoods like I’m eating less than I am or exercising more than I am. I also do not have the willpower to accomplish anything of value. And I most certainly lack the stamina necessary to get into shape and maintain it.  Praise God that He has gifted me with a daughter who is gives up her speed to help me learn to take care of the body I have. I know most days I frustrate her with my laziness and “quitter” attitude, but she sticks by me and makes it almost fun to exercise. Almost. She is so positive and upbeat with me that it makes me want to make her proud. I’ll never be able to keep up with her, but she encourages me to just keep going.

I find oftentimes that I cannot handle the spiritual disciplines myself, either.  For one, I get distracted too easily. I also am not self-motivated to study deeply. And I most certainly do not maintain a high level of excitement over a long period of time.  I’m sporadic at best. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, I pray less. I read less. I study less. I attend less. I give less. I go less. Before long I wake up from my slumber, look around at my spiritual life, and wonder how I’ve drifted so far! But praise God – He always gives me that wake-up call and then provides oarsmen in my boat to help me get back on course. Sometimes that means enduring a trial, driving me back to my knees. Sometimes that means being asked to help teach a class, sending me back to the Word. Sometimes that means finding a friend in need, encouraging me back to giving generously. Sometimes that means encountering someone who hasn’t met Christ or isn’t bearing fruit, forcing me to go out of my comfort zone and into the mission field right outside my door. I am compelled, even constrained, by what Christ has done for me. Reading from II Corinthians 5… ¹⁴For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

How glorious it is to be reminded, corrected, even rebuked, so that I may return to the narrow path of serving Christ. II Timothy 3…¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

No, maintenance does not come easy to me.  As I continue to DO maintenance (my yard, my body, my relationship with Christ), it gets easier. I get better at it. It feels more natural. I learn a lot. Things look better. And of course, the product is improved! In short, I am blessed.

Father God, you have done all the work of redemption. You have planted good seed in me, and tended it carefully, giving yield in season. You have built a temple of the Spirit in my body, and have fully equipped it for service.  Help me to maintain the precious gifts of your grace.

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."